Transportation
Calculating the Length of a Bridge: A Step-by-Step Guide
Calculating the Length of a Bridge: A Step-by-Step Guide
Determining the length of a bridge based on the speed and time taken to cross it is a common problem in basic physics and mathematics. In this article, we will use the given data to calculate the length of a bridge and explore different methods to solve it. We will also discuss the importance of unit conversion in such problems.
The Problem Statement
The problem is stated as follows: A person crosses a bridge in 5 minutes with the speed of 12km/hr. What is the length of the bridge?
Method 1: Using the Basic Distance Formula
To find the length of the bridge, we can use the basic distance formula:
Distance Speed × Time
Step 1: Convert the time from minutes to hours since the speed is given in kilometers per hour (km/hr).
5 minutes (frac{5}{60}) hours (frac{1}{12}) hours
Step 2: Plug the values into the formula.
Speed 12 km/hr
Distance 12 km/hr × (frac{1}{12}) hours 1 km
Thus, the length of the bridge is 1 kilometer.
Method 2: Using Speed in Different Units
The problem can also be solved by converting the given speed into a different unit, such as meters per second (m/s), and using the time in minutes. Here's the step-by-step solution:
Step 1: Convert the speed from km/hr to m/s.
Speed 15 km/hr 15 × (frac{1000}{3600}) m/s 4.16667 m/s
Step 2: Convert the time from minutes to seconds.
Time 5 minutes 5 × 60 300 seconds
Step 3: Calculate the distance covered using the speed and time in different units.
Distance Speed × Time 4.16667 m/s × 300 s 1250 meters
Therefore, the length of the bridge is 1250 meters.
Method 3: Using a Different Speed
Let's explore another problem with a different speed: the speed of the man is 15 km/hr, and he crosses the bridge in 5 minutes. We can solve this problem as follows:
Step 1: Calculate the distance covered in 60 minutes (1 hour) with the given speed.
Distance 15 km/hr × 1 hour 15000 meters
Step 2: Calculate the distance covered in 5 minutes.
Distance 15000 meters × (frac{5}{60}) 1250 meters
Thus, the length of the bridge is 1250 meters.
Conclusion
Using the basic distance formula and proper unit conversion, we can accurately determine the length of a bridge based on the speed and time taken to cross it. This is a useful problem-solving technique in various fields, including engineering, transportation planning, and physics.
Keywords: speed, time, distance, bridge length, conversion